2025 Most Important Moments in Sports: #5: PAIGE BUECKERS AND UCONN END THE DROUGHT

COMEBACK COMPLETE

Photo credit: Thien-An Truong/ISI Photos. Paige Bueckers of the Connecticut Huskies addresses the media after defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship no April 6, 2025

UConn captured its 12th national championship with an 82-59 victory over defending champion South Carolina on April 6, ending a nine-year title drought for coach Geno Auriemma and the Huskies. It was the longest drought for Auriemma and his Huskies since the team won its first championship in 1995, led by Rebecca Lobo.

The journey to redemption belonged to Paige Bueckers, whose career at UConn became a testament to resilience. She missed 19 games because of a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear as a sophomore, later admitting she forced her return too quickly. After tearing an ACL four months later, she sat her entire junior season.

The past five years for Bueckers and UConn have been defined by their shared pursuit of that coveted championship, with the common thread of getting knocked down and needing to find their way back up. Sue Bird, Diana Tauras,i and Breanna Stewart gathered at the UConn Huskies' team hotel following their alma mater's loss in the 2022 national championship game to South Carolina. The trio of UConn greats wanted to console the Huskies and Paige Bueckers. The defeat was devastating, historic. It was UConn's first loss in a national title game after 11 previous wins, extending the school's championship drought another year.

The 2025 tournament proved to be Bueckers' crowning achievement. In the Sweet 16, she scored a career-high 40 points, including 29 in the second half, in an 82-59 victory over Oklahoma. She became the fourth UConn player to record at least 40 points in a game and the first to do so in the NCAA tournament. In the Elite Eight, Bueckers posted 31 points and six assists, leading her team to a 78-64 win against top-seeded USC and being named MOP of the Spokane 4 Regional. She tied her own program record with three consecutive 30-point games, while scoring a total of 105 points, the most by a UConn player over a three-game span.

Photo credit: Thien-An Truong/ISI Photos. Paige Bueckers of the Connecticut Huskies shoots a free throw against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half during the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Championship game

Bueckers surpassed Maya Moore for the most career points by a UConn player in the NCAA tournament and moved to third among all players. She was a unanimous first-team All-American for the third time in her career, received the Wade Trophy as the top NCAA Division I player, and won her second Nancy Lieberman Award as the top Division I point guard.

The championship game showcased UConn's formidable trio. Azzi Fudd scored 24 points and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, while Sarah Strong added 24 points and 15 rebounds. Bueckers scored 17 points in her final game at UConn. Strong set an NCAA tournament record for points by a freshman in a single tournament with 114, and she became the first player in NCAA history to record 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in a title game.

Auriemma subbed Bueckers, Fudd and Strong out with 1:32 left. Bueckers and Auriemma had a long hug on the sideline, having finally gotten that championship that he so wanted for her. "They've all been gratifying," he said. "Don't get me wrong, this one here, because of the way it came about and what's been involved, it's been a long time since I've been that emotional when a player has walked off the court".

It was the first time Auriemma had seen Bueckers cry, and he told her, "I love you." It was Auriemma who couldn't hold back tears later, calling this "one of the most emotional Final Fours and emotional national championships I've been a part of since that very first". "[Bueckers'] journey," he said on ESPN's postgame show, "has been the most incredible for any kid I've had".

All 12 titles have come under head coach Geno Auriemma, who has led the team for 40 years. Since 1995, the Huskies have had dominant championship runs, including in the early 2000s led by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, 2009-10 with Maya Moore, and finally the four straight from 2013-16 with Breanna Stewart. All were in attendance in Florida on Sunday to see the Huskies' latest title.

"It's truly storybook," said Rebecca Lobo, who, like Bueckers, won her first and only national championship with UConn in her final career game.

Photo credit: Thien-An Truong/ISI Photos. Paige Bueckers of the Connecticut Huskies cuts down the net after winning the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship game.

The fairy-tale ending cemented one of the most emotional championships in women's college basketball history. A player who had endured devastating injuries, heartbreaking losses, and years of mounting pressure finally achieved the one thing that had eluded her. Bueckers didn't just win a title. She proved that resilience, patience, and unwavering belief can overcome even the most crushing setbacks. [RS]

Join us daily for the countdown to #1, followed by our Sportsperson of the Year.

Source:

2025 NCAA Women's Tournament: UConn, Paige Bueckers are national champions